The Path of the Outcast
by Faramir
Summary: A story of a young warlock who seeks his Ranger friends in an Imperial compund.


The Wave Serpent slowly drifted to a halt in front of the Warp Gate. Soon they would go through. Ulthwe Rangers were being held hostage and Eldrad would not allow it to continue. The Mon-Keigh would not expect to be struck so close to the heart of their city. The Portal began to open. It widened quickly. Fe-Mon felt Eldrad enter his mind. The Briefing was being delivered. To strike a Bunker in the City's centre where the Rangers were being held. "It is time young Warlock." The feeling left his mind as the Wave-Serpent surged forward.  
  
Drab buildings surrounded the ancient warp-gate. Behind the Wave-Serpent, the portal closed. Lucky for the Warlock and his squad of Howling Banshees that there was a rebellion occurring on this planet, otherwise they would be spotted easily. The crowd would be too caught up in their own affairs to worry. A small group of men appeared at the end of the lane. They shouted in disbelief. The Wave-Serpent opened up on the small group of humans. Star Cannons spat plasma death. They were there no more.  
  
It quickly rose into the air and began to scan the roof-tops for any activity. A small turret tracked their progress. Once again the Star Cannons lashed out. The turret would track no more. Then it struck. The rebellion occurred right on schedule. Explosions bled toxic gasses from the industrial sector. They spread through the inner-city blocks like wildfire, taking down Imperial Guardsmen with unnerving potency. The Wave-Serpent kept moving.  
  
Fe-Mon and his squad of Howling Banshees dispersed from the Wave-Serpent. It settled itself in a small garage at the end of a dreary lane. The riots were spreading quickly. Mobs of Angry civilians passed them in droves, unaware or caring for the intruding aliens. Fe-Mon brought up the map in his tactical display screen. It wasn't far now, twelve Clicks. A squad of Arbites enforcers sprinted around the corner. They rushed headlong into the surprised Warlock, knocking him to the ground as they went. The Howling Banshees struck from the shadows, blasting their Shuriken Pistols as they went. Arbitraitors bit the dust as the remaining few were cut down mercilessly by the black blades of the Banshees.  
  
Fe-Mon knew he had to hurry. The Rangers were of vital importance to Ulthwe. They had information that could lead to breakthrough in the war against Chaos. He did not know much, he just hoped it could be something useful. Something that would let the Eldar die properly, instead of having to be trapped in the Infinity Matrix for all Eternity. He kept moving. Three more Clicks and the squad would be there. The Bunker loomed ahead in the distance. Arbites Enforcers and Guardsmen held the area surrounding it. Negotiating their way through the dense terrain, the squad soon saw more details.  
  
Watching closely, Fe-Mon noticed some of the Troops returning inside. He looked again and saw them all hurriedly running back in! He quickly linked his mind with everyone elses. "Eldariel, why do you think they're moving in?" asked Fe-Mon. A tall Banshee replied.  
  
"There are two options, Fe-Mon. They have either detected us, or the Rangers are causing some trouble. From my guess, it's the second option," came the reply.  
  
"Fair enough. Ok then. We have to assault this thing and get Qual and his friends from inside it. I'll assault the sniper slits. Here," he handed Eldariel some Haywire Grenades. "These will allow you access to the door. After that, I'll follow and we'll negotiate our way through the corridors. I don't have a readout, so we'll have to go on gut instinct. Understand?"  
  
"Yes," replied a chorus of voices. With that he left their minds and concentrated on his own thoughts.  
  
The young Warlock and his crew stormed from their positions. They expected to be greeted by a hail of Lasfire. Instead, they were shot at by only a few rounds of gunfire. They continued to advance as planned. Fe-Mon approached the crude gun slit, the weak las-fire turned away by his glowing rune armor. The young warlock gathered his rage as he strode towards the gun slit, and then unleashed his anger in a roiling wave of raw psykic energy. Screams issued from the inside as bodies stumbled out alight, only to be cut down by the Howling Banshees. The doors shut quickly again. Eldariel hurriedly attached some Haywire grenades and watched as the door made three beeps before springing open with a jerk. The Hazy interior smelt of charred flesh, the remnants of Fe-Mon's devastating attack.  
  
Fe-Mon cautiously peered around the corner. He heard some panting. Some hurried footsteps. Shouts came next. The sound of a single shot. A scream. Something hitting the floor. He continued to navigate his way through the passages, aiming to reach the area from which the scream occurred. The lights above him blinked continuously on and off. The Haywire grenade had affected more than the door. Continuing on, he saw a long corridor leading off to the left. The door was slightly ajar. He made quick hand-signals to the Howling Banshees and edged his way forwards along the corridor. Slowly, slowly. The words kept going over in his head. Soon he reached the door.  
  
Fe-Mon saw the charred limbs first. No doubt Mon-Keigh limbs. He pulled the door completely open and looked at the scene in front of him. Bodies were littered across the floor. "Who goes there?"  
  
Fe-Mon jumped in surprise. He looked to his right and saw a make-shift barricade. "We knew you were coming, so we thought we'd help out a bit." A tall, slender figure rose form behind the barricade. "It's good to see you Fe-Mon." It was a Ranger.  
  
"It's been a long time Qual, it's been a long time." A tear trickled down Fe-Mon's face as he said it.  
  
"So it has Brother, so it has."  
  
Bright, blue bolts of raw power shot across the courtyard. The rebellion was in full swing. Terrorists ran across the city like it was a day in the park. Buildings toppled onto the streets below. Almindale glanced around the cockpit. All systems were in order. He looked up at the roof. It quaked under the power of the anti-gravity engines. Raw power surged from under his vehicle. Kinetic energy capable of tearing Limbs from bodies. Dust and paper flew in all directions. He couldn't wait here for much longer. The Mon-Keigh would notice sooner or later.  
  
He carefully edged the groaning beast forwards, all the tie aware of the soul-stones that constantly moved the turret at the top of his vehicle. They were restless, too restless. Any more movement and there hidy-hole could be found with ease. The time was up. Almindale powered up the star engines and spat straight out into the courtyard before him. The shed behind him collapsed in a shower of dust and debris, revealing the alleyway from which he had come. Fe-Mon would have definitely got Qual and his friends by now. With determination unlike anything he had felt before, he switched on the star engines once again and felt the surge of power. He was pushed back into his seat as the Wave-Serpent surged forwards through the fumes towards the bunker.  
  
Fe-Mon quickly led Qual from the ruined bunker. Time was of the essence. The entire point of him getting out of there soon was so that reinforcments didn't arrive to soon. They scrambled over the charred corpses at the entrance just as the door clamped shut behind them. Someone knew he was here. The door had been repaired. He felt the presence of a large body of Mon-Keigh to his right, advancing rapidly. No chance now, he needed to act quickly. Unsheathing his Witch-Blade as he ran, he entered Eldariel's mind.  
  
"Mon-Keigh to our right. Large group. More than twenty. Thier thoughts are of anger and retribution. We must hurry."  
  
"Agreed," was all that Eldariel said.  
  
They kept running until they reached the rubble at the edge of the clearing. Qual and his two companions unstrapped their Long-Rifles and sat themselves in nooks behind roof-beams. The humans came screaming through the alleyway on the opposite edge of the clearing. They lobbed rocks at the bunker, cursing as they went. Fe-Mon quickly linked up with Qual and his Rangers.  
  
"No, not yet. Too risky. The mightn't notice..."  
  
As he was about to finish the sentence one of the Rebels raised his Stubber and fired blindly at the Eldar.  
  
"You were saying Fe-Mon?" The Warlock cursed and unclipped the Shuriken Pistol holster.  
  
Almindale guided the Wave-Serpent over through the sheets of Flak headed towards him. Maybe the Rebellin was already over, he thought. A Flak Turret to his left exploded in a shower of Las-fire as the ammunition inside it cooked off. The Building it was situated on collapsed under the strain, showering the crazed Heretics with huge chunks of gray masonry. Obviously it was only warming up. He saw the Bunker ahead.  
  
Fe-Mon heard a roaring noise and spun around quickly. He saw Rebels being showered by rubble from a collapsing building. As he watched, he caught a glimpse of the Wave-Serpent. He didn't other with psychic communication this time. Pouring all his rage he had ever felt into his finger tips, he surged forwards. The power increased. He kept going. Fe-Mon stopped and poured all his hatred into his finger-tips until it over-flowed as psychic energy. A huge torrent of bluish-greenish electricity surged forth from his out-stretched hand, capturing the Mon-Keigh in it's wake. Those who were not killed fled from such a horrible force.  
  
Almindale cruised into the clearing just in time to see Fe-Mon launch a devastating attack on his enemies. The creatures writhed as raw psychic- energy flowed through them, ripping them apart. He opened the rear loading ramped and watched as the Rest of the Eldar broke cover and ran inside. "It's good to see you, Qual."  
  
"You too, Almindale. It has been a long time indeed," the Ranger replied. "Is everybody in?"  
  
"Yes, we are." Fe-Mon clambered aboard, exhausted from his ordeal. The Wave- Serpent rose and cruised through the sky, heading for the Warp-Gate. 


End file.
